Privacy Policy

Thank you for visiting our website and for reviewing our Privacy Policy. Our policy is clear:

We collect no personally identifiable information (PII) about you unless you choose to provide that information to us.

Any PII you choose to provide is fully protected.

Non-PII information related to your visit to our websites may be automatically collected and temporarily stored.

(NOTE: For more information on your health information privacy and security rights or the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules, please visit www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/index.html.)

Information Automatically Collected and Stored

When you browse through any website, certain personal information about you can be collected. We automatically collect and temporarily store the following information about your visit:

the name of the domain you use to access the Internet (for example, aol.com, if you are using an American Online account, or stanford.edu, if you are connecting from Stanford University’s domain);

the date and time of your visit;

the pages you visited; and

the address of the website you came from when you came to visit.

We use this information for statistical purposes and to help us make our site more useful to visitors. Unless it is specifically stated otherwise, no additional information will be collected about you.

Personally Provided Information

You do not have to give us personal information to visit our websites.

If you choose to provide us with additional information about yourself through an e-mail message, form, survey, etc., we will only maintain the information as long as needed to respond to your question or to fulfill the stated purpose of the communication.

However, all communications addressed to the ACL Secretary or the ACL Webmaster are maintained, as required by law, for historical purposes. These communications are archived on a monthly basis, but are also protected by the Privacy Act which restricts our use of them, yet permits certain disclosures.

Comments and Public Submissions

Comments may be submitted through this website, or by any method identified. Any comment you provide through this website should be submitted in accordance with the directions in the pertinent document. You should be aware that requirements for submitting comments may vary by activity. For purposes of submitting comments, some activities may require that you include personal information, such as your name and email address, on the comment form. ACL manages its own data within the site, according to agency-specific comment review and posting policy. Comments may be publicly disclosed in a docket or on the internet (via Regulations.gov, a federal agency website, or a third-party, non-government website with access to publicly-disclosed data on Regulations.gov).

Do not submit information whose disclosure is restricted by statute, such as trade secrets and commercial or financial information (hereinafter referred to as Confidential Business Information “CBI”). Comments received through the website cannot be claimed as CBI will waive any CBI claims for the information submitted. To view any additional information or instructions for submissions, refer to the specific notice or activity on which you are commenting.

Intended Use of Information

Federal agencies consider public comments during the development of proposed or final rules, as well as comments solicited for opinions on a program initiative, scientific study, respective agency guidance document, or proposed standard. By providing comments through this website, you are consenting to their use and consideration by federal departments and agencies. Agencies may provide additional instructions informing you how to grant consent for use of voluntarily-provided information.

Electronic comments you submit directly through this website will be maintained in two different locations depending on the agency. Comments will be stored electronically within the ACL system, and ACL is considered the official custodian of the comment. Your comment will not be considered until it has been properly received in accordance with the requirements described in the notice. Users who want to verify that the agency has received their comment should check directly with ACL. ACL manages its own data within the site, according to agency-specific comment review and posting policy.

The material you submit to a federal department or agency may be seen by various people. Any personal information included in the comment form or in an attachment will be provided to the agency or office to which your comment is directed and may be publicly disclosed in a docket or on the internet (via Regulations.gov, a federal agency website, or a third-party, non-government website with access to publicly-disclosed data on Regulations.gov).

Third-Party Applications

There may be third-party applications and/or services embedded on this site to improve its functionality. Our integration of these products is intended to provide a seamless user experience. Where applicable, privacy policies particular to these applications are provided.

Disclosure

ACL does not disclose, give, sell or transfer any personal information about our visitors, unless required for law enforcement or statute.

Intrusion Detection

This site is maintained by the U.S. Government. It is protected by various provisions of Title 18, U.S. Code. Violations of Title 18 are subject to criminal prosecution in federal court.

For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, we employ software programs to monitor traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. In the event of authorized law enforcement investigations, and pursuant to any required legal process, information from these sources may be used to help identify an individual.

Systems of Records

Information originally collected in traditional paper systems can be submitted electronically, i.e., electronic commerce transactions and information updates about eligibility benefits. Electronically submitted information is maintained and destroyed pursuant to the Federal Records Act, and in some cases may be subject to the Privacy Act. If information that you submit is to be used in a Privacy Act system of records, there will be a Privacy Act Notice provided.